Spacety

Spacety operates as a commercial space company with a focus on small satellites and satellite-based services. The company was founded in China in 2016 by CEO Yang Feng and CTO Ren Weijia. Yang Feng, an engineering graduate from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, previously led a company that supported major Chinese national space programs, including human space flight and lunar exploration, before establishing Spacety with the goal of making space more accessible.

Spacety's business model is structured around two primary offerings: Satellite-as-a-Service (SataaS) and Data-as-a-Service (DaaS). The SataaS model provides clients, which include research institutes, universities, and commercial entities, with comprehensive services for in-orbit demonstration and validation (IOD/IOV) of new technologies. This end-to-end service encompasses payload integration, launch, in-orbit operations, and data delivery, effectively lowering the barrier to entry for organizations seeking to test technologies in space.

The company's DaaS offering is centered on a developing constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. This constellation is designed to provide global, real-time Earth observation imagery, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. The system utilizes both C-band and X-band SAR technology to deliver high-resolution imaging for applications in sectors like agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, and environmental management. The first satellite in this constellation, Hisea-1, was a 185 kg microsatellite launched in late 2020. The long-term plan involves a constellation of 56 satellites to ensure frequent revisit times.

Since its inception, Spacety has launched over 30 satellites across more than 18 missions. A key milestone was the launch of "Xiaoxiang-1" in 2016, notable as the first satellite built by a private company in China. In 2019, the company established its international headquarters in Luxembourg to expand its European presence. However, in 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Spacety and its Luxembourg subsidiary, alleging the provision of SAR satellite imagery to a Russian technology firm to support Wagner Group combat operations in Ukraine. Spacety has closed its Luxembourg operations and denied these allegations.

Keywords: small satellites, Satellite-as-a-Service, SataaS, Data-as-a-Service, DaaS, Synthetic Aperture Radar, SAR, Earth observation, remote sensing, SAR constellation, microsatellites, nanosatellites, cubesats, space missions, in-orbit demonstration, IOD, in-orbit validation, IOV, space technology, satellite imagery, C-band SAR, X-band SAR, Tianyi Space, Yang Feng, Ren Weijia